Achevare
by UnholyAcolyte
Summary: Marceline has become the Lich's ultimate bargaining chip as the evil being makes a final play for the power it was denied when she was a child. Hunson is summoned to Ooo and quickly learns of the impending danger. The history he's been so careful to keep from Marceline finally spills over and pushes their relationship into a new space. Takes place at the end of the series.
1. Chapter 1

A thin finger drew silty shapes in the cold earth. The outline was barely visible in the moonless night. Flakes of snow dusted the ground, a light afterthought from the jagged ice kingdom that stood in the distance. The figure mumbled to himself as he finished the drawing. He pushed himself off the forest floor and dusted off the front of his robe as he stared down at the drawing.

"Where is it…" He mumbled to himself before pulling a carton of semi-putrid milky substance out of a deep pocket and gave it a tentative shake before tossing it onto the drawing and backing away and speaking a phrase in Latin that sounded clumsy and foreign to him.

" _Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum_."

The night went still. The birds stopped rustling in their trees and the insects stopped humming their nocturnal drone. The ground split open, tearing the face in half. Horrific shrieks filled the air and a black sludge clamored its way through the opening, clawing and scraping its way onto the earth before spilling over into a mass of bones and viscera that snapped together to form a body. The portal closed leaving a smoldering crack beneath the feet of a finely dressed man with pointed ears, black hair and a pair of fangs. His skin was an unnatural shade of dusty blue that appeared grey in the pale light. He squinted yellowish green eyes at the man who'd summoned him and made a disgusted noise.

"Yuck Simon, you've let yourself go."

"Shut up, Abadeer." The demon laughed at his remark.

"You remembered my name, what did you do- write it on your hand?" Thick frost began forming on the surrounding trees causing the branches to immediately stiffen and crack under the weight.

"Don't get your tunic in a bunch. I assume you didn't call me to the middle of the forest for nothing, but you're standing there staring at me so I don't know…" The Ice King relaxed enough to walk across the frosted ground until he was just a few feet away from him.

"You don't scare me, you brute. I know who you are." Hunson rolled his eyes. "Little Marceline, you're her father." Hunson's gaze steadied.

"What's your point?" The Ice King sneered at him.

"Hit a soft spot didn't I? I know I'm crazy but I'm not stupid, she's always been your proverbial Achilles' heel."

"Stay away from her, Simon. You had your time with her, that's the past. I don't give second chances. You go near her, I'll rain a shit storm down on your head the likes of which you've never seen. You get me? You've wasted too much of my time already."

"You need to go to her." Hunson stopped, the heel of his boot crunched through the frost.

"If she needed me she'd find me. It's always been that way."

"Not if she doesn't know she needs you." Hunson loomed over Simon. "I know she needs you."

"What did she say to you?"

"Nothing. I haven't seen Marceline in months. There's noises rattling around in my head. I've heard them before…" Hunson snarled.

"Get to the point before I choke the life out of you." Simon's milky eyes stared up at him in an abnormally peaceful way.

"That would be a blessing, Abadeer, but you need to know what I'm going to tell you before you make any rash decisions. Marceline is in danger. The Lich has returned. Truthfully it never left, just went into hiding. I hear whispers, like splinters in my brain. It's always there, that cold hush, that darkness that has no beginning and never ends. I've been careful to keep myself hidden."

"Why haven't I heard anything? If the Lich came back I'd know-"

"That's the thing, you can't know. It doesn't want you to know." Simon poked a bony finger into Hunson's chest, somehow immediately locating the diamond shaped amulet that rested under his shirt. "You did a fine job banishing it during the mushroom war, almost too good. The Nightosphere remained largely in tact while our world crumbled. That jewel of yours has eaten straight into your heart, if you ever had one. The human woman certainly saw something in you." A black tendril shot out and grabbed his neck before pulling him in until he was inches away from Hunson's face. The heat and pressure of his grasp felt like a hundred stinging nettles against his icy skin.

"If I didn't owe you for my daughter's life I'd have buried you under that mountain years ago. You leave her mother out of this."

Tears streamed down Simon's face as he attempted to free himself from Hunson's crushing grasp. "Wait-" He choked as his ice magic fizzled on the fiery appendage.

"Why… I've gotten all the information out of you that I need. I don't care if you're telling the truth about this threat or not, you're stalling me at this point."

"I don't- I don't know- what you're talking about." Simon wheezed. Hunson dropped him and he began taking desperate breaths.

"What do you mean you don't _know_?"

"I didn't do anything with your daughter… She just lives in that pink house. She told me about you, that's how I know who you are. She's nice to me... She's the vampire girl right?" He looked up at Hunson as he covered his throat with one hand. The tendril turned to heavy black mist and floated away into the night as he relaxed his stance slightly.

"Marceline said the same thing about me taking care of her. You told her to say that didn't you."

"How do you know about her mother?" Hunson asked evenly. The Ice king dug in a pocket and produced a photo of an olive skinned woman that had been folded so many times it had to be taped back together.

"We were looking at pictures and she told me about this one. I stole it. I needed it for this." Hunson stared at the picture without touching it. He watched Simon's gaze become distant as he stared at some unknown point in the woods.

"Give it back to her." Simon nodded and returned the photo to its hiding place.

"What does the Lich want with my daughter? She has nothing of importance to that monster."

"Nothing and everything, she has you. _You_ are what it wants, not her." He pushed himself to his feet. "I wouldn't have summoned you here if it wasn't serious. These visions, they come every night. I've tried to banish them, but an old wizard like myself only has so much power against something like this. You've seen what horrors it brings. You've faced down its hoards. A feud like this doesn't die, it lives forever. The Lich knows if it can't kill you, it will destroy you in other ways."

"Enough." Hunson took in a deep breath of the chilled air. He started walking into a clearing. Simon scuffled after him, but had trouble keeping up with his longer gait. "Where are you going?"

"To find Marceline. Where is she?"

"In a cave off the plains in the grass lands." Without breaking his stride Hunson dematerialized into an opaque black fog that swirled quickly before disappearing into the night. The Ice King stared into the empty place where he'd been standing just moments before taking flight.

Chapter 2

In his feverish attempt to catch Hunson, he spotted two figures moving through the tall grass below. He swooped down and was met with the alarmed cries of Finn and Jake who seemed to be aimlessly wandering in a large circular pattern.

"You guys seen a black mist come through here?"

"No. Should we?" Jake answered bluntly. "We're just looking for Shelby. We dropped him somewhere around here." The Ice King made an annoyed noise.

"Never mind!" He yelled as he flew off. The cave wasn't far away but he knew that Hunson had beaten him there. He felt winded and impatient by the time he landed at the mouth of the cave. His feet made a soft padding noise on the moist earth and he saw the outline of the demon lord standing with his back to the entrance. The house was dark and dripping water echoed through the mossy space.

"I didn't even know she had a house. She used to live in that tree where that human boy and his pet are now." The Ice King stood next to him looking at the dark windows.

"She hasn't been there for years." Hunson sighed at his response.

"She always had strange taste in living situations. I suppose she gets that from her mother." Hunson kicked a mossy rock and sent it skittering into the lake. "This place is dank, she should have just told me she was moving. My imps could have built her something three times this big somewhere with no sludge and whatever that smell is."

"You're not leaving are you?" The Ice King's milky eyes glowed in the cave.

"After everything you told me- no. This presents a real danger." Hunson walked to edge of the lake, his red boots sinking slightly into the mud. "She has to be back eventually…" He produced a black cigarette from inside his jacket and took a drag off of it, lighting it immediately. The smoke curled around his pointed ears as he glanced at the Ice King who was squinting at him.

"What?"

"You shouldn't do that. It's bad for you." Hunson took another drag and looked away.

"Lots of things are bad for you, Simon."

"Marceline thinks smoking is gross. She told me so one time." Hunson sighed and flicked the butt into the lake.

"Well Marceline isn't here right now."

"Are you a jerk all the time, or is this just a bad day for you?"

"You know what, go home. I'm not going to stand here and listen to you harangue me until she comes back." The Ice King's fingertips began to freeze over as he glared at Hunson, who scoffed at his anger.

"Save it. I have no interest in fighting you in here. She already hates me enough, if I accidentally destroyed her house she'd never forgive me."

The Ice King levitated and a cold wind swept through the cave, howling around the stalactites. "I'll be watching you, Abadeer." Hunson rolled his eyes and directed his attention towards the house. "Whatever." He replied flatly. A final gust of frigid air blasted through the cave and he was gone leaving Hunson alone with the dripping water and slimy banks. The heels of his boots clicked on the wooden deck and he inspected the house. He tried the back door but it was locked. He watched a small grouping of bats fly out of the cave and into the night sky before dematerializing into a black mist and seeping under the door and into the kitchen where he quickly reconstructed himself. He took one step forward and bumped into a chair, which scraped against the worn floor. The sound was much louder than he expected and he quickly put the chair back and glanced around. The house was sparse but neat and smelled faintly of lavender. He wandered into the living room and leaned in to see the array of pictures she had framed on the wall. There was a collection of macro shots of flowers, a couple landscapes, and a few of her with Finn and Jake. She looked genuinely happy, and the more Hunson studied her expression the more he realized that he'd never really seen her look like that in person, not since she was a young girl at least. For the past thousand years their relationship had been slowly atrophying into the state of disrepair that it found itself in now. He let his shoulders fall as he listened to the crickets chirping softly in the floorboards and felt the same pang of guilt and sadness he'd felt countless times before.

Bats began chattering outside and swooping around the house as something landed on the deck. Hunson froze and stared at the back door.

"Hey guys, go fly outside. Stop pooping on my deck." Marceline's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. He darted behind a partition and stared wide eyed into the darkness. There was no way he was getting out without her noticing. He cursed softly knowing that she would be furious when he finally showed himself. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. He heard bags being placed on the counter and then the soft flick of a match as she lit candles in the kitchen. She was humming to herself as she went about putting whatever she'd gotten away. Hunson peeked around the corner and saw her bent over putting things in the refrigerator. He took a breath and edged his way out. She'd turned the sink on and was washing something in a basket.

"Marceline." She shrieked and jumped back from the sink, dropping the basket. Red apples rolled across the floor, as she stood frozen with her hand over her mouth. She stared at him for a moment.

"Dad! What the hell are you doing?! Why are you in my house?"

"Marceline-"

"This is freakin' weird!"

"Please, Marceline-"

"How long have you been here?"

"Marcy-"

"Don't call me that. Leave. Get out." Hunson stared at her.

"Leave right now." She repeated.

"No."

"What? You're kidding me."

"I'm not leaving."

"This is _my_ house. You have to leave if I say so!"

"You are my daughter and you will listen to me!" Marceline's face flushed as she clenched her fists at her sides. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands until she felt the tips bite into her skin before quickly grabbing a vase laden with dead lilies and hurled it at him. Hunson stepped to the side and waved a hand, slowing the vase inches before it hit the wall. It lowered to the ground with a soft clink and he sighed.

"Get out!" She screamed.

"No Marceline." She screamed again and objects began flying off the shelves. Books, candles and other miscellaneous objects launched themselves at Hunson before coming to an abrupt halt just as the vase had. The dining room table and chairs flipped and crashed against the counter. Every time another object stopped short of her father she became angrier. He didn't even seem to be trying overly much to stave off her attacks and it infuriated her. The knife block spun on the counter, simultaneously releasing all its knives into the air in a glinting onslaught of sharpened metal. Hunson saw the attack and dissolved himself into a thick opaque fog that scattered throughout the room, snuffing out all the lights as it did. The knives stuck in the wall with hard thunking noises and Marceline stared at the place he'd been standing. The room had gone quiet and she breathed heavily, her fists still clenched at her sides. She searched the room with an unblinking gaze before the fog reappeared and Hunson emerged seemingly out of thin air inches in front of her. Marceline felt her anger crack as she looked up at her father. She instantly knew she'd crossed a line.

"Watch yourself." He said evenly. "Do _not_ let your anger get the better of you. You're lucky I'm so patient." He snapped his fingers before he turned and walked away from her. The over turned and out of place items in the kitchen began to right themselves and the candles flickered back to life. Marceline felt tears of shame and frustration prick her eyes as she watched him leave the room.

"And take those knives out of the wall." He added before disappearing into the living room.

She wiggled the last of the blades out of the wall and watched as plaster and shredded wallpaper fluttered to the floor. The dried petals of the scattered flowers crunched under her feet as she ran water over the shiny metal. The faint smell of spiced tobacco floated in from the living room and she knew that Hunson was smoking. Usually she would have tromped in and snatched the cigarette away as she scolded him for smoking in her house, but tonight was different. She sniffed as she felt a tear run down her cheek and wiped it away quickly. She felt stupid. This wasn't just embarrassment, it was shame. Shame for letting herself get carried away, shame for being reprimanded by her father, shame for leaving eight ugly holes in her wall.

She threw away the last of the spilled apples and felt her stomach ache from hunger. Another tear rolled down her cheek but she didn't pay any attention. She just stared at the trash wishing that she could have come back and enjoyed a boring dinner by herself instead of being thrust into another tumultuous visit with her father. Marceline shuffled into the living room and watched Hunson blow smoke out his nose as he fiddled with a porcelain figure of a swan. He always looked so disarmingly calm despite how dangerous he was. Marceline knew if anyone else tried the stunt she had, they'd have been shredded from the inside out by some horrible spell. It was sometimes odd to think that she was a part of him. Nonetheless, when she saw herself she always saw him looking back.

"You finished pouting?" He said calmly. Marceline felt her temper flare again but quickly shoved the feeling away.

"I had to clean." Smoke swirled around Hunson's head as he studied her, his eyes glowing softly in the dim light.

"What?" She said pointedly. He shrugged at the question.

"I can't look at my own daughter?" Marceline rolled her eyes and flopped down in a chair across from him. "Even if she did just try to run me through with kitchen ware."

"You're a jerk." She answered tiredly.

"I've been called worse things." He went to light another cigarette and stopped. Marceline was picking at a lose thread on the arm of the chair and hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't like it when I do this in here." He said as he tucked it away. She looked up and waved a hand in the air to show that she didn't care. Hunson rested his hands on his legs and sighed. The two sat in silence for a while as the house creaked on its stilts. Marceline watched as he flicked a bit of ash off his lapel and laughed softly. She could tell that he was trying to be good. He blinked at her.

"The whole good posture, not smoking and not continuing to piss me off thing doesn't suit you." She commented as she pushed hair out of her face. Then something occurred to her.

"How did you get here anyway? I swear if Finn summoned you again…"

"That's actually what I came here to see you about."

"You came to talk about Finn?"

"No not Finn. Someone else summoned me. It was your uh- _friend_ Simon, or the crazy ice wizard, whatever he is."

"He's not crazy." She said sharply. Hunson lowered his head and looked up as if to say "you know I'm right."

"He's not crazy." She repeated. "He's just… old and eccentric. He's still good, or at least to me he is. But wait- why did he summon you? I didn't even know you guys knew each other."

"We've had words over the years, regarding your shared past. That's beside the point though. Marceline, things have gotten dangerous."

"Things are always dangerous here."

"Just listen to me, please." Marceline tucked her legs under herself and looked at him.

"You remember the mushroom war, right?"

"Not really, dad. I was a kid."

"Well yes, but you remember enough to know what happened, that's what I'm asking."

"Yeah the world- at least this world, split in half and the humans died except for Finn and Simon, but I'm not sure Simon counts anymore."

"Essentially yes. There was a war. It ended about a thousand years ago but it had been going on long before that. Or rather, it was building itself into what ended it. The humans were the catalyst. If it hadn't been for their meddling and petty squabbling it wouldn't have ended as it did. I've never seen a race so desperate for salvation and yet so bent on destroying itself over menial resources and crude political constructs. There was some stupid saying they had, something about _going out with a bang._ That's certainly what they did. The explosion that ended the war was unlike anything that had come before it. It was horrific even by my standards."

Marceline was chewing on her lower lip. "You saw it?"

"From a distance. I was more concerned with what became of the immediate aftermath. What the bomb brought with it was a plague-like death, completely impartial as to who or what it destroyed. The Lich was at the heart of it. It became the embodiment of the demise of man and lingered long afterwards, preying on the humans that somehow lived."

"I do remember that, kind of… I remember planes. Those big, winged metal machines that used to fly over. I saw them with Simon once. They'd fly together and make everything shake. I saw them with mom a few times but she ran away. Now that I think about it, Simon probably just didn't care." Marceline laughed slightly. "He used to run outside and yell at them, like they could hear him. He'd pick up rocks and junk and throw it into the sky." Marceline laughed again until she saw the look on her father's face and stopped. "I don't know… It was just funny."

Hunson always became visibly uncomfortable at the mention of Marceline's relationship with Simon.

"Sorry, I won't bring him up." Marceline said quietly.

"It's alright." Hunson answered almost coldly. "That issue isn't yours to deal with. I own that one. Nevertheless, you mentioning him probably just made my job easier." Marceline narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Yeah you never told me _why_ he summoned you."

"As a preface, I think I'll retract the 'crazy ice wizard' comment. He still cares a great deal for you, Marceline, even if he doesn't understand why. In this case he understands perfectly well and he needed my help since you and I are in this together. _Bonded_ I guess you could say…" Marceline put her feet on the floor and leaned forward.

"He came to me with a warning about the Lich. It's come back and has apparently turned its attention to you."

"The Lich was banished."

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything. It might have left Ooo but it's not dead. It's just been existing between worlds. I've caught glimpses of it, but it wasn't anything strong enough to cause any concern; more like blips in the cosmos. Weak transmissions from wherever it's been. Simon and I, we exist on different planes. He hears and sees things that I don't, and vice versa. If the Lich wants to get to you, I know that it's smart enough to work its way around me knowing anything."

They sat in silence while Marceline studied her father's expression. He looked tired. It wasn't often that she saw him look this way; he was usually extremely good at hiding any negative emotions under a mask of caustic levity that danced its way around things until you were convinced that he truly wasn't bothered.

"Besides, its fight is with me, not you. I won't lose you to that monster too." Marceline felt something twist inside her. It left her feeling like someone had poured hot lead in her stomach.

"Dad…" She said quietly. He looked up at her and blinked. "What do you mean _lose me to_? Who else did the Lich take?" All the expression had left his face. The corner of his mouth twitched in the same way it always did when he didn't want to tell her something.

"Dad, who was it?"

"Your mother." Marceline crumpled. The few memories she had of her mother immediately surfaced in her mind. She felt tears prick her eyes as she searched for some last memory, a last impression of any kind but none came. She simply disappeared, like some sort of loving apparition. Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she looked back at Hunson.

"The Lich killed her?" She asked shakily.

"Marceline, you need to-"

"NO!" She interrupted as she stood up. "You told me that she was killed during the bombing!"

"She was!"

"No you just said she wasn't!"

"I didn't lie Marceline!"

"Yes you did!"

" _No_ I didn't."

"Get out! I really mean it this time. I don't care what Simon told you, I can take care of myself!"

Hunson stood up and walked towards her. "Marceline, you need to listen to me." Tears dripped off her chin as she tried to make herself stop crying. He took her by the shoulders and she tensed. She wiped a hand over her face and her rage and sadness boiled over as she landed a solid punch on the left side of his chest. He let go of her and backed up.

"Stop it! I lost her too Marceline!" Hunson had never yelled at her before, and it sounded foreign and awful in the small room. For that matter she had never seen her father cry either, until now.

"You are the only thing I have left. Everything I've done, I have done for a reason. You need to understand this and know that I promised her that nothing would ever harm you. Your mother saw good in me that I have failed to show you, and for that I will always be sorry."

Marceline felt a fresh crop of tears well in her eyes.

"You weren't there." She said pitifully. "When I had to step over corpses and watch buildings burn until there was nothing left, you weren't there."

"That's why Simon was… Marceline please come sit with me." She shook her head and Hunson held out a hand. "Please baby, I need to explain things."

"I can't take any more of this. Like what are you going to tell me? That you knew Simon this whole time and sent him to take care of me?"

Hunson cast his gaze downward and Marceline sunk to the floor as she stared past him in disbelief.

"I can't believe this…" Hunson sat on the floor too and waited for her to look at him. When she finally looked up at him he scooted closer

"Marceline, let me explain this okay? I knew in light of everything that's happening you'd have to find out sooner rather than later, but just bear with me." She was staring at a stain in the rug and held out her hand, which he took gently between both of his.

"At the end of the war you and your mother were living in the desert, do you remember that?" Marceline nodded.

"We agreed that both of you would be safer there. We knew it wasn't a permanent fix but it bought some time. The Nightosphere was under attack at that point and it was everything I could do to keep it from crumbling like earth was, but I was never far off. I deployed armies around where you and your mother were staying, but she never let you see them. I didn't want you to see them either. Things stayed like this for a while… I would visit frequently but it was always under the cover of darkness. We became too comfortable in this routine and that's why… things ended. The Lich had become enraged at not succeeding in taking the Nightosphere and learned of what I was doing. So it came with its hoards. It came directly fro you and your mother, but I arrived first." Hunson squeezed Marceline's hand.

"Everything we did, we did for you Marceline. That was always our pact from day one. Your mother knew she couldn't stand against its power, so I took you and used what was left of my magic to get you as far away as I could."

"Why don't I remember any of this?" Marceline asked flatly.

"I didn't want you to remember it. I left you in the safest place I could find and placed a sleeping spell on you. The only thing is you woke up before I'd planned. I found Simon wandering the wreckage. He was my only option so I made a pact with him to watch over you. I told him where to find you but you'd left by then and luckily he found you wandering nearby."

"You knew Simon…" Marceline looked at her father for the first time during the whole conversation.

"Barely. I knew he was human but I knew he was different. I saw enough of him to see that he was exceptional. Where most humans feared death, he feared life and what the future held. I knew Simon just as the curse was taking root in him. I knew he wouldn't remember me."

Marceline's eyelids drooped and a long tendril of inky hair fell into her face.

"Were you with mom when she died?"

"No." Hunson answered simply.

"Did she make you leave?"

"Yes."

Marceline looked him in the eye, searching for any sign of lying but he just looked back.

"Do you promise she made you leave?" Hunson looked up at the ceiling and sighed wearily.

"Yes Marceline, I promise." He said as he closed his eyes against a wave of emotion. She scooted closer to him and rested her weight on her knees before wrapping her arms around him. He did the same and hugged her tightly. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like this, but she eventually lowered herself onto the floor and rested her head on his knee. She felt as if she weighed a thousand pounds as the exhaustion from the night took over. The flames of the candles blurred and became distant floating beacons in the room as the hardness form the floor dug into her shoulder but she didn't pay it any mind. She was half aware of her weight shifting and the discomfort leaving her body as she felt weightless. The dull clicks of her father's boots on the wooden floor brought her out of her languor but only for a moment before the softness and familiar smell of her bed pushed her into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_The whole world smelled of death, and only the weak filtered light of the sun allowed for any visibility. At night the land was black and sightless, only filled with the sounds of monsters and the prolonged suffering of beings not lucky enough to have been vaporized in the blast. It was a relatively windless night on the dunes, which made the rolling, sandy mounds of earth a soundless bunker. A rusted Airstream trailer sat nestled between two large hills and an olive skinned woman sat atop it staring out over the land. She looked down through a skylight that had been made into a makeshift escape hatch at a young girl with pale skin and pointed ears who was sleeping soundly. She smiled slightly and directed her attention towards the horizon again. A faint glow burned far off, and every night it got brighter or dimmer depending on how much fighting had gone on that day. Tonight was a dim night, which was comforting._

 _Some unknown rustling came from nearby and the woman carefully took out a pair of night vision binoculars and focused them in the direction of the noise. The noise happened again and some carnivorous night bird emerged from behind one of the nearby dunes with its prey in its talons. She lowered the binoculars when she'd seen that it was something harmless and began to climb back down into the trailer. The young girl stirred slightly and rolled into her mother's embrace when the woman lay next to her. They were both soon asleep and complete silence overtook their surroundings save for the occasional creak in the metal as it contracted from the rapid temperature change outside._

 _The sun was soon due to come over the horizon when everything began to tremble and shake within the trailer._

" _Mom wake up!" The girl urged as she pushed on her mother's shoulder. The woman sat upright and scrambled off the bed, grabbing the girl as she did. The shaking became more violent and things began to fall off the counter. A teapot smashed and the girl screamed. The woman covered the girl's eyes and braced herself for what she was always sure was going to be the worst. Suddenly the rumbling stopped and everything was quiet. A cast iron pot creaked as it scraped against the wall and then a voice from outside._

" _Sarai! Sarai get out now!" She recognized the voice and bolted for the door, just as the entire thing was ripped clean from its hinges and thrown. The girl screamed again and gripped her mother's clothing. Hunson stood in the opening to the trailer and grabbed the woman by the arm._

" _What is going on?" The woman demanded._

" _We're leaving. I'm getting you and Marceline out of here." She thrust Marceline at him as she grabbed a red axe from its resting place by the door and swung it around one shoulder._

" _Where are we going? Hunson what is going on?" He yanked at something under his shirt and a large stone appeared from under the bloodstained clothing and it was then that she heard it, the horrible screaming of all the creatures Hunson had no doubt summoned to fight off whatever was directly on the other side of the opposing dune. Marceline's eyes grew big as she heard the sound too. Hunson and Sarai stopped abruptly and began running in the opposite directions as a thick, acrid fog began to roll over the top of the dune in front of them. They held hands as they went as quickly as they could through the deep sand._

" _Hold on to Marceline!" He yelled as he jerked Sarai's hand up and wrapped it around the amulet. All three instantly twisted and were whisked away from the noxious cloud. Hunson's teleportation had been quick, but the Lich's keen senses picked up on their movement before their feet had left the ground._

 _Sarai felt as if she'd been sucked into a vacuum and panicked as she thought about Marceline. The complete inability to breathe made her panic more but her hand was locked around the hot amulet. She tried to move but nothing worked, and it was then that she felt as if they'd been broadsided by semi. She knew they where in free fall but couldn't make out anything tell how close they were to the ground. She felt Hunson's body twist and morph into something large and hulking around them and soon her and Marceline were completely engulfed. They made impact, but Hunson's body dampened it to where it felt like nothing more than a bumpy landing in a jet liner. He dropped them and rolled away, quickly morphing back into his usual form as he stood in front of them breathing heavily._

" _You've lost your edge, demon." The sky filled with choking clouds as the voice moved around them. A mist-like form appeared behind Sarai, the burning green orbs in its head hungrily eyeing her and Marceline. Hunson waved a hand and a wall of flame instantly appeared behind her. She hadn't seen the impending danger but screamed at the sudden heat at her back. The form had disappeared and the flames burned high and bright as they spread into a semicircle. The wind shifted and a thick, putrid shower began to rain down in them. Marceline buried her face in her mother's shirt in an attempt to keep the stench out. It was as if liquid death was falling around them. The sounds of the battle became closer and suddenly a vast legion of winged demons began soaring above them, circling the area with thunderous cries. The flames whipped around and voice came for them again._

" _Your devil birds don't frighten me… " Hunson and Sarai stepped closer to each other as she lowered Marceline to the ground and drew the axe. The rain stung her eyes as she wiped a hand across her face to clear her vision. The weapon was heavy and slick in her hands so she gripped it tighter._

" _An eye for an eye, Abadeer."_

 _The wind stopped before a bolt of green lighting simultaneously struck all the demons flying above them. Sarai and Hunson looked up but Marceline stared in horror at the hoard of cadaverous assailants who'd come bursting through the flames. She screamed and instantly Hunson shape shifted into an inky, multi-limbed creature that impaled several of the enemy before they'd gotten more than a few steps towards them. Marceline felt something cold and sinuous grab her wrist and she turned to see a jawless corpse clutching at her before when was left of its head was chopped clean off its festering shoulders. Sarai jabbed at the body with the pointed end of the axe before taking on a cluster of them, each one meeting a similar end. Sharpened black tendrils drove into the earth around them as Hunson obliterated a dozen or more simultaneously. The creature he'd become was completely unrecognizable, a mass of horned appendages and a hulking body that twisted and roared with rage. Marceline was frozen with terror and closed her eyes as she covered her ears in an attempt to shut out the horrible shrieks and earth shaking thuds that surrounded her._

 _The battle continued on in this manner for what seemed like an eternity to her until it stopped. Sarai hacked through a bloated creature and watched it fall before scanning the surroundings for any more. The surrounding ground was soaked with the stinking rain and muddy ichor from the slain enemies. She readjusted the axe and glanced at Marceline to make sure she was where she left her. Hunson's chaos form growled and eyed the land on both sides of the flame wall. Something was wrong. Battles don't end so abruptly. The air around Sarai became frigid and still, and she felt as if something or someone was breathing on the side of her neck. It was a hungry breath that chilled her to the core. She swung the axe to the side but the chill persisted. She swung again and felt some force wash over her. All sound drained from her surroundings and the breath was taken form her lungs. She left herself stagger forward and the blade of the axe hit the earth as she leaned on it. Darkness clouded her vision as she drew in deep, heavy breaths._

" _Such an uncommon will for a human." The voice was calm. The burning green orbs floated in front of her as a skeletal body materialized around them. It was murky yet tangible as it swayed before her._

" _That weapon is not meant for a mortal. What does he see in you? What do you possess…" A hand colder than the bite of winter wrapped itself around her jaw and forced her head up. She shut her eyes as the weight on her shoulders became heavier._

" _Look at me."_

 _Sarai opened her eyes to meet the empty, glowing stare of the Lich and saw in its gaze nothing but the endless hush of death. An eternity of silence, listless and oppressive. She tightened her grip on the axe and listened for a voice, and it was there, distant and familiar. She reached for it out of the Lich's lethal grip and it became louder. Then there were two voices calling for her. The light receded into the Lich's skull as if it knew what was about to happen. Sarai drug the axe up off the sodden earth and drew it upwards in a large backward arc. The Lich dissipated and she lost her grip on the weapon as it continued on its path behind her landing some distance away._

" _Sarai!" Hunson's voice came at a desperate pitch as she heard Marceline wailing. She felt herself being picked up and turned. Hunson was standing a short ways away holding Marceline. He took a step towards her and the Lich stopped him._

" _Loss is inevitable. If it weren't your precious realm it would be something else. There's always a balance."_

" _Release her, I'm the one you want!" Marceline screamed and clutched his collar._

" _Valiance doesn't suit you." The light was leaving Sarai's eyes and he hugged Marceline tighter._

" _Take me. Do it."_

" _I'm afraid that's too easy a fate for you." The Lich wrapped a hand around Sarai's neck and her body began to wither and curl in on itself and suddenly she was hyper aware of what was happening to her. All the pain of a lifetime flooded her body and she tried to writhe free of the deathly grip, but to no avail. Hunson shielded Marceline's eyes as and army of thousands of putrid soldiers swarmed over the hills and began quickly converging on them. The fiery barrier Hunson had conjured still blazed brightly, and the heat from the flames warped the air around them. Sarai managed to force her head up long enough to see Hunson looking back at her._

" _Save her." She whispered into the burning air. The breath caught in his throat as he wrapped an arm around Marceline and lunged for the axe. The sulfuric rain stung his eyes as he slashed through a few of the Lich's warriors with enough force to sever them in half but was quickly overwhelmed and shifted into a winged leviathan that dwarfed the flying demons who'd managed to live thorough the lighting strike. They immediately followed him, fighting off any enemies that followed before Hunson, Marceline and Axe disappeared through a crackling vortex that immediately shut behind them with a deafening boom that sent a shockwave over the barren sand._

 _Thousands of miles away, a city lay in ruin. The skyscrapers crumbled and undying fires burned from broken gas lines. The fallout from the bombings left it covered in a snow-like ash and the stench of decay wafted through when the wind shifted. The front doors to what was formerly a car dealership were heavily barricaded with office furniture and a burnt out sedan that had been rolled behind everything. A man lay in one of the back offices, his white hair spreading out over the makeshift pillow. He stared up and watched dirty water drip from between the panels in the ceiling. He blinked slowly behind cracked circular frames and tried to reposition himself on the hard floor before sighing and relinquishing himself to his uncomfortable bed._

 _He'd started to drift off into a restless sleep when everything began to shake and vibrate around him. He quickly crawled under a desk to protect himself from any falling debris and the shaking became more violent. Soggy panels started to fall to the floor and pictures fell off the walls before all the windows in the building simultaneously blew inwards. The man shielded his face and waited for what he thought to be the inevitable, the scorching wave of radiation that would vaporize him and his hiding place off the face of the earth, but nothing happened. He waited for the glass to stop falling before quickly emerging from under the desk. He could feel his heart thrumming in his chest like a frightened bird in a cage as he stared out the now open windows with wide eyes. He'd been just swift enough to catch a glimpse of a massive black beast disappearing behind a building. This was unlike anything he'd seen so far and know that whatever it was needed to be followed, but carefully. So he swung his heavily laden pack onto his back and edged his way out the window and onto the sidewalk before sprinting across the street and slipping into a narrow alley._

 _Hunson had reverted back to his usual state and was lying on his side, holding Marceline in a lobby of a corporate building. He breathed heavily as tears ran down his face and into Marceline's inky hair. He'd placed a sleeping spell on her as soon as they'd landed to ensure that she didn't draw any attention to them. Her body was limp and fragile in his arms and he pulled her closer. He rolled onto his back and covered his mouth when the grief became too much. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like this but eventually he drug himself off the floor and grabbed the axe as he searched for a place to rest that wasn't so visible. An executive's office on the third floor provided a good view of the surrounding area and a large desk that was made into a makeshift bed for Marceline. The door had been ripped off its hinges but the room only had one way in and out, adding an extra sense of security._

 _The sun set and Hunson stared blankly out one of the large windows as Marceline slept behind him. His mind had gone numb. He focused on some distant point on the horizon and knew that he had to go back. The war was over for the humans but not for him, and certainly not for the Lich. The Nightosphere wouldn't be safe for Marceline and the pockets of respite on earth had diminished to practically nothing. For all the power we held he knew that it would be impossible for a time to watch over her. He buried his face in his hands and dug his nails into his forehead before looking over at Marceline's peaceful face. The sleeping spell would only last so long, but it would do nothing for her memory. She had witnessed a lifetime's worth of horror in less than a day and Hunson knew that he couldn't let the memories plague her. He walked to her and ran a hand over her soft forehead and watched her sleep for a while._

" _I love you Marceline, don't you ever doubt that." He whispered to her before kissing her forehead. He ran a finger over the blade of the axe, creating a cut deep enough to draw blood and drew a symbol in the same place he'd kissed her. He stared at it for a moment and knew that a memory loss spell was the merciful thing to do._

" _Amitto cunctus memoria…" he said softly and the symbol disappeared as if it soaked into her skin. She stirred slightly but didn't wake up and Hunson lay down on the floor in front of the desk and stared into the darkness._

 _He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep but a soft ruffling noise woke him. He assumed it was an animal but kept very still to see if it would happen again. This time the distinct sound of footsteps made him sit up and stare into the darkness. His eyes glowed softly as they searched the inky room for any sign of movement, and that's when he saw him. A skinny man with snowy hair and a beard was standing in the corner looking around nervously. Hunson could tell that he couldn't see them and dematerialized into a black fog that quickly swept across the floor and manifested in front of the man in Hunson's usual form. He covered the man's mouth with a hand and shoved him against the wall. The man screamed into his palm as he went completely stiff. Hunson could feel him trying to reach for something on his belt._

" _Don't. Move." He ordered evenly. The man froze. He could still tell that his captive couldn't see him by the way his eyes darted around frantically behind his glasses. Hunson balled up the man's shirt and pressed a fist into his sternum._

" _I'm going to take my hand off your mouth and your not going to say a damn word. You're not going to scream. You're not going to do anything sudden. You're not going to make a single sound." The man nodded quickly and Hunson gradually removed his hand._

" _Who are you?" Hunson asked. The man swallowed before answering._

" _My-my name is Simon Petrikov. I've been travelling. I'm lost. I saw a um… I saw a creature and I followed it in here." Hunson narrowed his eyes._

" _What did it look like?"_

" _It was big and black. It um… was flying. There was an explosion." Hunson immediately knew that this man had seen them._

" _How long have you been here?"_

" _Hours. I looked through the whole building but it never found it." Hunson glanced down at the Simon's belt and saw a large jeweled crown. He could feel that it was no ordinary artifact. There was a prickly sensation around it, like frigid, electrified aura._

" _Are you human?" Hunson asked. Simon blinked and swallowed again._

" _Yes." He answered nervously. "Are you?" Hunson glanced down again and saw a flashlight handing off his belt._

" _You have a flashlight, see for yourself." Simon tentatively unhooked it from his belt and clicked it on. The battery was dying so the beam wasn't very strong as he tracked it up the front of Hunson's shirt to his face. His hand shook slightly as he saw how the once fine fabric had been dyed stiff with blood and some off-color liquid that resembled inky rainwater. When the beam reached Hunson's face Simon dropped the flashlight and tried to reach for the crown but Hunson ripped it from his belt and sent it clattering across the tile behind them. He lifted Simon until his feet left the floor and held him there._

" _I was that 'creature' you saw, and I will rip your head from your shoulders if you test me, do you understand me human?" Simon choked and squirmed behind his grip. Hunson squeezed until he was sure Simon was going to pass out and let him drop to the floor. He fell to his knees and wheezed as he tried to regain his composure. He grabbed the flashlight and rocked back on his heels and stared at the red boots that stood in front of him._

" _What are you?" He asked breathlessly._

" _Who I am is a better question, and one that I'm not going to tell you. Stand up." Simon kept his back against the wall and pushed himself off the floor._

" _What does that crown do for you?"_

" _What do you mean?" Simon replied nervously._

" _There's magic attached to it. I can feel it even across the room. Why do you have it?"_

" _Is that why you asked if I was human?"_

" _Answer the question."_

" _It gives me powers. I can control things with it. I can freeze things… It speaks to me. There was a blizzard here and the snow felt like- like a summer rain. It was beautiful."_

" _You found this crown?"_

" _Yes, I'm an antiquarian. I lost my collection in the war but this stayed with me."_

" _It stayed with you because it wanted to stay with you. That crown is cursed." Hunson saw anger flash in Simon's eyes and raised a hand before placing his palm over Simon's forehead. Simon pressed himself into the wall in an attempt to get away from the touch but it wasn't any use. Hunson's hand was rough and uncomfortably hot against his cold skin. Hunson's eyes rolled back as he bent his fingers over Simon's skull. Simons stood completely still as he waited for some awful feeling to overcome him but it never did. Hunson's yes rolled back into place and he removed his hand as he took a step back._

" _Your mind is sick." He said simply. Simon blinked at him._

" _Whatever is in that crown is infesting you." He turned and started to walk away. "Lucky for you, I was able to confirm that you're mostly human."_

" _Mostly?" Simon asked as he took a few steps into the blackened room and pointed the weak beam of light at Hunson who held out a hand as he passed the discarded crown causing it to levitate into his palm. He ignored the question completely._

" _You're not getting this back until I know I can give it back." He said as he dropped it over the handle of the axe._

 _Simon felt a pang of panic but fought it down as he watched Hunson move closer to the desk and then he saw Marceline. His eyes widened and he pointed the beam away from her sleeping form. He hadn't noticed that Hunson was watching him the whole time._

" _That's my daughter." He said sadly._

" _Is she hurt?"_

" _No. She's sleeping and it's for the best."_

 _Simon wanted to run from the room. The fact that his crown was unceremoniously slung around the handle to some satanic axe made him extremely anxious. He'd been stripped of his power in an alarmingly short amount of time and now stood victim to whatever this demon had in store for him._

" _I'm going to say something to you, and you're going to listen." Hunson said calmly. Simon was planted to the spot he'd been standing in._

" _But I refuse to speak across the room so you'll need to come closer." Simon did as he was told._

" _I rarely afford humans the time or effort it takes to explain anything but you've come into me and my daughter's life at an exceedingly painful time. I wont be able to watch over her very much longer. Both our battles have just begun in very different ways. Taking her with me is not an option; I'd be putting her in more danger than she's already in."_

 _Simon felt panic bubble inside his chest._

" _You're telling me you want me to take care of your daughter."_

" _Yes I am."_

" _You don't know anything about me."_

" _I know more than you think. I have a knack for seeing the truth in people. That crown doesn't make you overtly dangerous, it's actually more of a danger to you than to anyone else. Marceline means the world to me; she's the only thing I have left. I can see that you wont willingly accept this responsibility without a push, so here's what I have to offer. You watch over my girl and protect her with your life until I return, or I'll be forced to kill you."_

 _Simon looked horrified._

" _You shouldn't have followed me unless you were prepared to face the consequences."_

 _Simon watched Marceline's little chest rise and fall a few times before he looked back at Hunson who'd fixed him with an unreadable stare._

" _I'll do it."_

 _Hunson turned and grabbed the axe close to blade and pointed the handle towards Simon. He tilted it until the crown began to slide off and Simon caught it before it hit the ground. He was busy fastening it to his belt when he felt the end of the handle poke him in the chest._

" _I will be watching you, Petrikov. Remember that what's left of your mortality now hangs in the balance." Hunson swung the axe over a shoulder and leaned over Marceline. He whispered something in her ear and kissed her before turning away and walking quickly towards the door. Simon twisted a strap on his pack nervously when he realized that he had no idea what to call the demon who'd just given him an inconceivably daunting task. Against his better judgment he called after Hunson._

" _Wait! Hey wait- what do I call-" He was cut short by a soundless shockwave that pushed him backwards as Hunson vanished into nothingness. Simon toppled backwards and landed hard on the cracked tile. He stared unblinkingly at the spot where Hunson had disappeared and felt helpless. He sat in darkness for a while; jumping every time the building creaked or shifted until sheer exhaustion took over and he crawled behind and under the desk to fall into a dreamless sleep._

 _He awoke suddenly and banged his head on the underside of the desk. It looked to be late morning by the amount of sunlight that streamed through the windows and that's when he heard it. The wailing from outside of the building that was unmistakably that of an upset child. Simon scurried from underneath the desk and pulled himself up to peek over the edge. Marceline was gone. He cursed and stumbled to his feet and began sprinting out of the room. The crying echoed through the building and he could hear her desperately calling for her father. He burst into the lobby and the cries faded away. She wasn't in the building. His throat constricted with panic and he ran out of the building and on to the street, and began running by burned out cars and demolished buildings. He turned a corner and she was there, standing by a downed power line. He immediately took off his pack and approached her. To his surprise she didn't move, didn't seem scared of him in the slightest. She just stared up at him with tear-streaked cheeks and matted hair. Simon crouched down and ran a finger over her cheek, wiping away some of the dirt and tears that stained her face._

" _Hello Marceline." He said gently. She blinked her large eyes at him and didn't say anything._

" _I'm Simon, I'll be taking care of you for a while." She sniffed hugged herself. Simon looked around in hopes that he'd see something to comfort her with. A toy store sat adjacent to them with a broken front window._

" _Wait here by my backpack, okay?" She nodded._

 _He walked to the storefront and rifled through the dusty stuffed animals until he picked up a red, noodly creature with button eyes and carried it back. She took it from him and smiled. Simon stared down at her sadly before slinging the pack over one shoulder._

" _We better get going." He said tiredly._

**As a footnote, the Latin phrase I used translates as "to lose all memory", or something of the sort. Thanks for reading, cheers.


End file.
